By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium
The Trump administration’s freeze on federal discretionary spending is raising alarms across the country, with education officials warning it could severely disrupt critical programs—including free school meals and nutrition assistance for low-income families.
“In Washington state, and states across America, legislators need to be prepared to double down on their public education investments,” said Chris Reykdal, Superintendent of the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). “The Department and this administration are preparing to walk away from their civil rights obligations and the nearly 250-year commitment to public education that has actually made America great!”
Though the administration has said programs like Social Security and Title I funding for low-income schools will remain untouched, education leaders warn the freeze places discretionary grants—such as those supporting school lunch, after-school meals, and emergency nutrition assistance—on uncertain ground. Community programs like Meals on Wheels and other nonprofit partnerships that rely on federal funding may also be affected.
In Washington state, where access to school meals was recently expanded, the consequences could be immediate. Nearly 800,000 students are currently eating free meals in school thanks to new state legislation. According to OSPI, 70% of children in Washington now have access to school meals at no cost to families.
“We’ve expanded meal programs to support 700,000 children,” said Reykdal. “But cuts would force the state to either reduce this number or find alternative funding.”
Participation has exceeded expectations, prompting OSPI to request an additional $17.6 million annually in the 2025–2027 budget to maintain the program’s reach.
The GOP budget proposal could strip nearly half a million Washington children of access to free school meals, Reykdal warned. He called the funding freeze “senseless” and said the fallout could extend well beyond meal programs.
“If this funding freeze moves forward, some of the programs potentially at risk are breakfast, lunch, and after-school meal programs,” Reykdal said. “Other programs at risk include academic supports for students experiencing poverty; afterschool learning programs for students in high-poverty and low-performing schools; mental and behavioral health supports; and targeted learning supports for many of our most marginalized student groups.”
Federal nutrition funding is also a lifeline for states where local and state budgets can’t absorb the full cost of meal services. The potential cuts could be felt in red and blue states alike. During the 2022–2023 school year, more than 28 million students participated in the National School Lunch Program, with nearly 20 million receiving free or reduced-price lunches.
The School Nutrition Association (SNA), which represents school nutrition professionals nationwide, has joined the chorus of concern. In a recent statement, the organization said the proposed cuts could eliminate up to $1 billion in U.S. Department of Agriculture funding, including an estimated $660 million that directly supports school and childcare meal programs.
“The Trump administration and Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are now turning their sights on kids’ school lunches, the latest casualty in the administration’s war on the federal government’s budget,” the SNA said in a recent statement. “Millions of children could lose free school meals as a result of the $1 billion in cuts to USDA.”
The freeze doesn’t only affect nutrition programs. State and local education systems, as well as nonprofit organizations, rely on a web of federal discretionary funding to support classroom resources, afterschool programming, behavioral and mental health services, and outreach to underserved communities. Without those funds, gaps in student services will likely widen, particularly in schools already struggling with high needs.
While Reykdal has raised concerns about the possible impacts, he expressed cautious optimism about Washington’s ability to weather the storm. State law, he noted, provides stronger protections than the federal minimums, giving students some insulation from federal policy shifts.
“No order by the President will diminish our state’s obligation or moral imperative to serve and support all students,” said Reykdal.
Still, without restored federal support, Washington and other states may face difficult choices in the months ahead. For educators, administrators, and families alike, the uncertainty is mounting—and the clock is ticking.
Source: Seattle Medium
